SkyCube 1

Spacecraft nº:

US spacecraft nº:

Launch data: Designation  39567 / 1998-067EL Launch date  09 Jan 2014 - 18:07 UT Launch site  WI, Pad 0A Launch vehicle  Antares-120 Mission  Technology, education Earth orbit: Perigee / Apogee  362 x 367 km Eccentricity   Inclination  51.6 ° Period  91.7 min

Spacecraft data: Prime manufacturer  Southern Stars Group LLC Platform  CubeSat (1U) Operator  Southern Stars Group LLC) Mass at launch  2 kg Dry Mass   kg Basic shape   Dimension (m)   Equipment   Solar array  Deployable solar arrays, Solar cells Stabilization   Propulsion  None DC power   Design lifetime  3 months

Nanosat location into deployer

Nanosat deployment

Set of NanoRacks CubeSats Deployed From International Space Station on Feb 11

End of live:

Description:

• SkyCube is a crowdfunded 1U CubeSat, bult by Southern Stars Group LLC, whose mission is to tweet messages submitted by its investors and to take pictures of places they have requested. And in the final weeks of its life, it will inflate a silver balloon so they can see it as it sails overhead.
• SkyCube features four cameras, deployable solar arrays and an inflatable 3 m reflective balloon, making it very visible and increasing atmospheric drag to de-orbit it in a few weeks.
• It will be deployed from the Kibo airlock by Nanoracks deployers.